Dr. Elaine Tierney, MD

Dr. Elaine Tierney is a research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an associate professor of Psychiatry at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.Current statistics predict one out of every 68 children is destined to develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is an incapacitating, lifelong developmental disability that typically appears within the first three years of life. It is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. Individuals with ASD frequently exhibit developmental delays in physical, social and language skills, have abnormal responses to sensations, communicate unusually and have abnormal ways of relating to people, objects and events in the environment. The condition is four times more likely in boys than girls, and sometimes occurs in association with other disorders.